The present invention relates to a negative film handling method and apparatus for processing negative film pieces, each having several frames, obtained by cutting the original negative film and contained in or inserted into a negative film containing bag (hereinafter referred to as "a negative sheet") are subjected to a process such as extra printing.
A developed negative film is returned to the customer, after being cut into shorter negative films (or negative film pieces) each having several frames. An order for extra printing is issued to a laboratory with negative film pieces inserted into a negative sheet along with an order slip upon which is entered the designation number of a frame to be printed, the finished picture size, the type of photographing paper, and the number of copies. In the laboratory, the designation number on the order slip is collated with the side print number of the negative film piece and data concerning the negative film frame on request is inputted to a recording means so that, when the frame is supplied to the printer, the data is successively outputted from the recording means for controlling the necessary printing operation.
For extra printing of this type the following negative film handling methods have been previously known.
(1) A first negative film handling method in which negative film pieces are taken out of the negative sheet and are then spliced into a long negative film or "original" negative film.
(2) A second negative film handling method in which, as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 131717/1977, negative film pieces are arranged end to end between two transparent belts to provide the original long negative film.
(3) A third negative film handling method in which a negative film piece is taken out of the negative sheet and is inserted into the negative sheet after printing.
This invention relates to an improvement of the third negative film handling method described above.
With respect to the third method, there has been proposed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 82336/1977 "an automatic negative film processing device" in which the negative sheet is opened to deliver a negative film piece to the printing section. After printing, the negative film piece is put back into the negative sheet.
Furthermore, in order to uniformly record data concerning the frames of the negative film pieces on the negative sheet, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 51730/1978 has disclosed a method in which the negative sheets are successively stuck into a roll-shaped belt including recording means with the negative sheets are disposed perpendicular to the roll-shaped belt.